Sunday, March 03, 2013

Shias targeted in a blast in Karachi...

by Salman Hameed

The spiral of violence is continuing in Pakistan. This time there is a car bomb that leveled off two buildings in a shia-dominated neighborhood in Karachi, killing 45 people and injuring 150. It is increasingly becoming an open season on minorities, but shias have been bearing most of the brunt for the past few months. All of this is sad and painful and these kinds of attacks are reminding me more and of Iraq (see this earlier post: Is Pakistan Spiraling Down the Way of Iraq?).

Interestingly, we had Darrin McMahon as our speaker just this past Thursday and he gave an fascinating talk on the history of happiness. But at dinner, he mentioned that he had visited Karachi in 1991 - and absolutely loved it. In fact, he said that it reminded him a bit of the culture in southern Spain, where he has spent a considerable amount of time. What he remembered most was the warmth of people welcoming him in Karachi and his visits to a number of mosques in the city. And then he said that he misses that Karachi. Me too.

Coupe of items. Here is a song Khoon (Blood) by the band Topi Drama about the recent killings of shias in Pakistan (tip from Faisal Irshad):

7 comments:

36000+ (and counting) killed in Pakistan over a decade at the hands of terrorists belonged to which minority if you could please elaborate. :-/A terrorist sees no minority, only a set of opportunities to zero in a target that would return maximum repercussion and would grab media market most in a contemporary scenario. This time, the gas pipe is the talk of the day, so Shias are the big game of the hunt.

Akbar sb, there is a self-confessed mass killer by the name of Malik Ishaq who has been let loose, and, he and his party LeJ or ASWJ have sworn to wipe the minority Shia off the map of Pakistan in order to defend the honour of the Sahaba or Companions of the Holy Prophet….these sectarian outfits have found willing members in the ranks of TTP with whom they share their takfiri ideology….

In 2013, almost 400 shias have been killed for being Shia only. There are almost daily incidents of Shia doctors, lawyers etc being targeted in big cities Khi, Lhr, Pshwr and these isolated target incidents are not even reported in the media. This is a coordinated genocide of a minority and calling it a conspiracy is just turning a blind eye.

And by the way the blast in Karachi happened in a Sunni neighborhood adjacent to Abbas Town. Location was on the road between the apartments named Iqra City and Rabia Flower. There are no apartments in Abbas Town.

it happened in the evening in a crowded marketplace which is frequented most by Abbas town residents…..any similarities in the 2 massive Quetta blast earlier this year and the Karachi one? All were carried out in markets or gatherings where there would be maximum Shia casualties….their purpose is to cause maximum casualties, not unlike the bombings in Shia areas of Iraq are meant to achieve, since mosques are now usually well-guarded therefore markets present a much softer target

Akbar,Yes - there has been a lot of killings in Pakistan in the last few years. And a large number of those attacks have been indiscriminate in terms of religious affiliations. But there have also been attacks targeting specific sects and ethnicities. There - the people have been targeted specifically for who they are or what they believe - both individually (as the targeted killings of shia doctors) and as a group (as the market bombings in Quetta and now in Karachi). Asad has already made those points very well. And Gas pipeline is one of the variables in Baluchistan, but the attacks on shias is a broader assault (again - just look at the targeted killings of individual doctors) in the country. This is like what was going on in Iraq as well. Different groups have different interests for creating havoc (for example, the TTP keeps on attacking Peshawar) - and all of that is sad. But I would find it odd to say that these recent bombings have nothing to do with Shias and are just random acts of bombings.

What is Irtiqa?

Irtiqa is a Science and Religion blog. It tracks and comments on news relevant to the interplay of science & religion - with a focus on scientific debates taking place in the Muslim world. Irtiqa literally means evolution in Urdu. But it does not imply only biological evolution. Instead, it is an all encompassing word used for evolution of the universe, biological evolution, and also for biological/human development. While it has created confusion in debates over biological evolution in South Asia, it provides a nice integrative name for a blog that addresses issues of science & religion. For further information, contact Salman Hameed.

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On Muslims and Evolution

Salman Hameed

Salman is an astronomer and Associate Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Currently, he is working on understanding the rise of creationism in contemporary Islamic world and how Muslims view the relationship between science & religion. He is also working with historian Tracy Leavelle at Creighton University to analyze reconciliation efforts between astronomers and Native Hawaiians over telescopes on top of sacred Mauna Kea in Hawaii. He teaches “History and Philosophy of Science & Religion” with philosopher Laura Sizer, and “Science in the Islamic World”, both at Hampshire College. Salman and Laura Sizer are also responsible for the ongoing Hampshire College Lecture Series on Science & Religion, and you can find videos of all these lectures below. Contact information here.